Improve your memory

Like exercise, your brains needs a workout to keep fit

Shares

Memory is a funny thing. Joshua Foer, author of Moonwalking with Einstein: The Art and Science of Remembering Everything, performed outrageous feats of memory to win the USA Memory Championship and yet, as he says, "I still misplace my car keys."

If you want to improve your memory, it's a good idea to know specifically what you wish to remember. If you want to memorise ordered lists of information, then the memory palace technique Foer learned may help.

It's described in the Memory Techniques Wiki at mnemotechnics.org/wiki, together with PAO (Person, Action and Object) and a variety of other advanced techniques.

If you couldn't care less about remembering the order of cards in a deck, but you'd love to be able to put a name to a face, try the steps outlined at Litemind.

Lumosity

This is an online brain training program with a hefty dose of memory improvement and games designed to aid attention, speed, flexibility and problem solving.

While the jury's still out on whether brain games improve brain function, we know practise helps. What's particularly appealing about Lumosity is its partnership with cognitive scientists from around the world in the Human Cognition Project.

When you become a member, you'll get updates about research into brain training as well as personal updates about your performance.

Similar to Lumosity is Fitbrains. You can try it free for five days without the need for a credit card, or use the limited version for free.

Dual N-Back

Dementia support

Progressive, frequent memory loss is one of the early signs of dementia (there can also be other reasons for such memory loss). If someone you know is suffering from dementia you can find useful resources and information at Alzheimer's Australia. Subscribe to Dementia News, published twice monthly, and download some useful tip sheets.